LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Getting government ‘out of the way’ key to better America

Daniel Pritchett’s letter on April 27 claims the world would be a scary place were it not for government. [“Bonini’s world would be a scary place to live,” responding to “Trump wows crowd in Harrington,” article, April 23] There is some truth to that claim. But government has a tendency to be sluggish, to grow into a bureaucracy, and to centralize power unless the people stay informed, active, and virtuous. Limited government does not equate to no government. This letter rebuts Dan’s claims.

At a Trump rally, on April 22, State Sen. Colin Bonini was quoted as saying that the United States was founded on “the belief that when government gets out of our way and lets us chase our dreams, all of us win. ” Though I’m not a fan of Bonini for governor, the senator is right. Capitalism is the best economic system ever invented.

Laissez-faire capitalism is both moral and just because the degree to which man rises or falls in society is determined by the degree to which he uses his mind and muscle to attain his dreams. Capitalism is the only social system that rewards merit, ability and achievement, regardless of one’s birth or station in life. The rich get richer and the poor get richer. Free markets and competition are the greatest producers of prosperity for all.

The question is, have the goals of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, which talks about the positive purposes of government: “to establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty … ,” been met? Dan argues “yes,” but he is delusional.

Social justice is not justice, but redistribution; instead of tranquility, we have divisiveness and polarization in our society; our defense forces are at pre-World War II levels; citizens are being micromanaged; and we are losing our liberties as the government grows and grows.

Dan then describes how the world would look if Sen. Bonini’s view had prevailed since the 1780s. But this is pure conjecture on Pritchett’s part.

Slavery and human trafficking: Abolitionists and the Civil War got in the way. The 13th Amendment didn’t work, necessitating a 14th and a 15th Amendment, which further expanded federal power. Slavery and human trafficking are rampant today. Government’s acceptance of the Muslim Brotherhood in the administration, Muslim refugees and re-settlement programs, and Sharia in our court systems will enslave us even further.

Child labor: The National Child Labor Committee, formed in 1904, finally got legislation passed but was disallowed by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional. Not till 1938 (34 years later) did government finally right this wrong, and that was mostly because adults were desperate enough to work for children’s wages during the Great Depression.

Public schools: Tuition is very expensive, over $18K per public school student in Delaware; college tuition is a mortgage for most students because of government loans made easy; and public schools are indoctrinating centers and cesspools of cultural rot.

Infrastructure: Government-financed roads are not free. Most of them are job programs for unions who overcharge and under-deliver, then, turn around and support more corrupt politicians.

Delaware’s beaches: Local communities concerned about tourism would have stepped in with much more cost-efficient programs.

American wetlands: Runaway federal agency regulations will soon be in control of huge amounts of private property because of a redefinition of “navigable waters.”

Food and drugs: Two men, Harvey Washington Wiley, who actually worked for the government, and Upton Sinclair, a muckraking journalist, were the chief advocates for the FDA, which became law in 1906. By the 1930s, muckraking journalists, consumer protection organizations, and federal regulators began mounting a campaign for stronger regulatory authority. It took a tragedy that killed over 100 people in 1937 to strengthen regulations. Government often has to be forced to act “for the general welfare.”

The Ebola virus: The place to isolate Ebola was at its source. NIH and CDC allowed our president to bring this disease to our shores. Luckily, it was contained.

Our cities: Responsible energy companies routinely work on their pollution problems and develop cleaner and cheaper technologies. And taxpayers should not be coerced into paying for stadiums by pompous city mayors.

National parks: Another good intention getting out of hand; the federal government is taking over too much land, and inhibiting any development. These lands belong to the states or the people.

Jobs and overtime: Obamacare is forcing employers to keep jobs under 30 hours per week, forcing workers to try and find a second job to support their families. Government policies do not favor a business-friendly environment, and our economy suffers.

Entitlements: Another good intention, but we know where that road leads. Entitlements are eating us alive. These programs should all be privatized and each worker responsible for themselves and their family. No one has a problem with a hand-up, or those who cannot care for themselves. Charitable organizations should be local, not run by bureaucrats in D.C.

The American economy: The creation of the Federal Reserve, the New Deal, and Dodd-Frank have failed to deter the banks and stock markets from operating like casinos; they are worse now with those laws on the books. The dollar, the world’s reserve currency, is now a paper tiger.

If Sen. Bonini or Lacey Lafferty, and Mr. Trump, are ever elected, brace yourself! For a return to the principles of our founding would result in a better economy, less regulation, lower taxes, less micromanagement from a government who thinks we are too stupid to govern ourselves. It is people like you, Dan, who keep getting in the way. Step back, and let us dream, invent, innovate, and chance success. To be ruled, not governed, is not progress; it is a return to what our founders rejected.

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